KYRIAKATIKI ELEFTHEROTYPIA [Sunday issue] . Issue no. 350. 3/08/2008.

Iphigeneia in Poland by Christos Siafkos and photograph by Elina Younanli .

Wlodzimierz Staniewski's film on the Iphigeneia will be projected on Polish Television at the beginning of 2009.

The lush Delphic landscape and a Greek tragic heroine travel to Poland, to make an appearance, at the beginning of 2009, on that country's television screen. It is Iphigeneia and her sacrifice at Aulis that will be presented by Wlodzimierz Staniewski's Centre of Theatre Practices, Gardzienice. Staniewski, the prominent theatre director, has during recent years concentrated his creative work and artistic research on theatrical productions such as the Elektra of Sophocles 1 and the Metamorphoses of Apuleius.

The shooting for the film took place recently at Delphi, during the Theatre Workshops and Seminars for young artists and students organized by the European Cultural Centre of Delphi. The film is produced by PWA, the audio visual production company of the Ministry of Culture of Poland. PWA specialize in recording and distributing the most important cultural events of that country.

At the centre of the film was of course the theatrical production of Iphigeneia which was performed at the Frynihos Theatre of the Delphi Centre on July 11 th . Iphigeneia's journey towards her sacrifice, however, had started much earlier. The 10-member film crew directed by Staniewski had previously started shooting in Gardzienice and was continuing at Delphi with the seminars attended by 65 young actors and students. Of these the director selected fifteen who made up the "Chorus of the Civilization of the Dead" in the Iphigeneia.

A Feast on the Move.

On July 9 th , the procession of the tragic heroine towards her sacrifice departed from Delphi, near Sikelianos' house, from the ancient path which leads to the Corycian Cave of Parnassos. The 18 Polish artists with their 15 Greek colleagues walked during 11 hours beginning early in the morning, accompanied by two

KYRIAKATIKI ELEFTHEROTYPIA [Sunday issue] . Issue no. 350. 3/08/2008.

patient and photogenic ..donkeys-Christophoros and Patience-who on their backs bore not only the musical instruments to be used in the course of the expedition, but also the theatre company's costumes. For the Greeks who participated, the instructions had been-come what may-to dress in the imposing deep black of mourning. There were also other animals: one newborn goat, Rosa ['Triantafilia' in the original Greek text] and wild boars from the farm of Isidoros 2 at Kroki in Parnassos. Filming of the dramatic action which peaked at the Corycion, took place at a number of 'stations' in the course of the expedition. At the entrance to the Corycian Cave the company was welcomed by local musicians with clarinets, guitars and toubelekia . 3 There, under the midday sun, a symposium had been prepared that included lambs and wine, while the theatrical activity continued until late in the afternoon. The last part of the filming took place at Apsifia, a small island in the gulf of Galaxidi. The film which awaits projection at the beginning of 2009 will be accompanied by performances of the theatre company at festivals all over the world, while in Greece it will be projected next summer under the auspices of the Centre of Delphi's programme. Appearing in the role of Iphigeneia is Karolina Cicha, of Agamemnon Mariusz Golaj, and of Clytemnestra Joanna Holcgreber.

Translated 13/08/08 by Yana Sistovari